No one here seems to take NSAIDs but rather the gaba and pregab plus narcs and mols for their various pain probs. I was listening to a pain mmgt podcast yesterday from an American site. they were talking about vitamin D and how everyone ought to be tested before being prescribed meds because low levels cause a whole host of ills and then the broadcaster gave a long list of 'dangerous' meds including Nsaids and the neuro pain meds which he said really ought to be last resort and that narcotics were far better for the body and were more effective!

I know NSAIDs are supposed to kill me if I take them long enough via kidney, liver, stomach and heart but I'd be totally unable to cope without them and they allow me to function - just! Has anyone else tried long term NSAIDs because inflammation is surely a large part of any pain picture? Anyone had their vit D level checked?

Hi Boozybird,..I take gabapentin,co-codomol and dicoflex(anti inflame) . I have to take omeprazole because of as well.

I take a calcium and vit d supplement because I had read of vit d possibly being low.

The gaba and cocodo,dont seem to do anything these days,so im looking to stop,dont like taking meds if no help,the nsaid will prob go same way. I would rather stick with herbs,food,natural help if I can. I think all these meds do is act as a plaster to pain,and sadly they have side affects that can outweigh their use.

My doc wouldn't let me take nsaid without the omeprazole. nI think it comes down to personal choice . wishing you well

I do take vitamin suppliments as my wife (and therefore I) is on a special diet. Regarding NSAID's, I would love to take them to help my back pain, however, I literally don't have the stomach for it as I ended up passing blood for each one I tried.... The closest thing I take now is asprin. I know lots of people who have had the same issue but also many that reap the benefits of the pain relief.

I take Disprin Direct if I really have to. I've taken all the other stuff but cant bear being groggy and out of it. added to which, the pain did not go away enough! There is a lot of evidence now about the need to supplement vit D3 and I do if I don't get outside. Ten minutes of sunshine is supposed to be enough to get your vit D, not sunbathing, just average sunshine. My pain is caused by injuries as well as degeneration so Im not sure a vitamin supplement would make a difference. Might try regularly taking the supplement and seeing if it makes a difference.

The vitamin and mineral angle is interesting. We do forget that we are a bag of chemicals that need optimum levels for our bodies to function efficiently. And I see using painkillers a bit like using diesel in a petrol car, although both are fuels derived from the same source, the chemical mix is wrong, and the car doesn't work.

A lack of any vitamin is well known to cause illness. But getting the balance right is tricky because an overdose of each can cause even more problems. The problem with vitamin supplements is that they pass through before they get a chance to be digested (as discussed on the tv programme about London Sewage workers). Use efferescent, chewy or gel capsules as they digest quicker but its much better to get them via food, but that becomes expensive.

Its now well accepted that diet can greatly influence several medical conditions, and this is an area I have yet to explore when I have a bit more time on my hands.

NSAIDs are vicious, and the fact that you need to, more often than not, take a supplement medication is alarm bells in its self.

I use co-codamol and write off a few weeks of my life while I am on it. Luckily its only been 2 times in 11 years.

D3 is more potent than 2. 2 is made by irradiating fungus and plant matter and there have been studies showing it is not worth taking if you get D3.

Vitamin D comes in small quantities in food like oily fish, herring being the best source. Salmon, cod liver oil, dairy, fortified cereal and mushrooms if all things! Sunlight is the best source. When we do get to go outside in the sun, we use sun creams!

I've been taking arcoxia, a cox2 med, as I can't stomach the other NSAIDs. But I've just been advised by GP, to stop as it wasn't making any difference. Co coda mol makes me feel sick, but GP recommended a lower dose. Not sure if it ll work but maybe I'll try for a few days. But as. Have ibs I'm worried about causing more stomach problems. Tramadol works but makes me so dizzy!

4 years agoHidden

I have supplemented vitamin D3 (initially 10000iu daily now 5000) for the better part of 4 years now, it is a small part of a dramatic turnaround in my overall well-being which meant I was virtually housebound back then and 51kg heavier too.

NSAIDs are not a choice for me, they are what gets me moving.

I have taken NSAIDs from age 21 (now 55) for the past 15 years or so on 15mg of Meloxicam daily, (as Boozybird has said, cox-2 type are streets ahead; they are MUCH less problematic on stomach symptoms to any other too) although I have used just about every other sort in that time with only a short break some 25+ years back. I have recently tried to withdraw them, in the hope of reducing their impact, but it has merely reinforced how much they do improve my mobility, as I need to double my Opiate intake to compensate (although that is only the pain element, I remained far less flexible without the Meloxicam, hence far less mobile).

The impact of Opiates on me has been very severe too, over a period of nearly 20 years of using them, so I can't agree that opiates are the "better" option, just a different one! The most obvious impact they have had is on my Endocrine system, causing severe Hypogonadism, and various other problems which are simply not seen as a problem by most medics, although a few Doctors describe it as "Opiate Induced Endocrinopathy"

Can't say NSAIDs aren't a problem though - they are suspected to be a factor in my Hypertension, (hence the attempt to wean off them) and I have some proteinuria which they probably cause too. What other effects they have had is more debatable

As nasty as they both are, they pale into insignificance compared to that everyday drug of choice... Paracetamol! Liver rotting mainly, (played havoc with mine, and took many years to recover after I stopped) with a host of other problems on the side! At long last the American FDA is highlighting the problems that causes and has it on a list for monitoring now.

Let me tell you about my experience with paracetamol, one of the two meds I have been able to tolerate, the other being aspirin. In London last year, I decided come hell or high water, I would take 2 paracetamol 4 times daily and use my tens unit more it less all day. I was determined not to hold everyone else back. This plan worked quite well, with me taking separate rests from time to time. On the last day, I took two patacetamol after breakfast. As I swallowed them down, I thought, hang on, haven't I just taken two already!!!! The upshot was that I felt very poorly all day and for weeks wasn't great. I decided against medical advice as Dr Google said Id be ok - despite recent evidence that even small overdoses can be catastrophic. I haven't taken them since as I can tell my body would react. Sounds a bit other-worldly I know but when you have taken nany meds, I think you get a "feel" for what they are doing. Or maybe Im just over anxious!

4 years agoHidden

This amount of paracetamol had my liver enzymes *way* over range and it took some considerable time after stopping them to come back to "normal." As little as 6 paracetamol (3x normal amount) in one dose can be toxic.

Wouldn't mind, but they do precious little for serious pain anyway! The fact you weren't sure you had taken a dose illustrates how feeble they are, it's exactly my experience of them too, and when I had the same dose of Codeine phosphate prescribed instead of the compound co-codamol, I noticed no difference in effect whatsoever

Interesting topic! I have just seen a nutritionist/herbal doctor, she has told me to take a herbal tonic for my stomach pain (I have adenomyosis) , also to get more vitamin d outside with no sunscreen ( avoid those chemicals) for short periods of time , don't cover up the arms.

Also re. Pain meds I have now tried many different ones the nefopam I had been prescribed was the best for me for stomach pain , its like double strength aspirin.

Now though i have bad joint pains & muscle aches so I am going back to nsaid like diclofenac..

Boozybird I take Diclofenac as and when if I could I would take them all the time as they work for me as well so from being unable to take NSAIDS on a regular basis for the reasons you stated my GP says they interfere with other medication you may take i.e.. if you take blood pressure tablets, but what is odd is that they never monitor me when taking Diclofenac surely the only way they would know if it is having a diverse effect to my BP?

Could go on for ever about lack of help from NHS but mostly I try to solve my own aches and pains with heat, creams or gels helping to ease the pain.

If you are going to use supplements, it seems that the kind you take is important. Some commercialised brands don't for example, come in the best way for our digestive system. I take Ester C Plus, 500mgs vitamin c, non acidic, bioflavonoid complex. The complex comprises the anti inflammatory rosehip and other goodies. Also capsules with gazillions of friendly gut bacteria and suckable zinc tablets. After this thread, I am going to take regularly instead of ad hoc and see how I get on.

We'd obviously all like not to have to take anything but it is interesting the variety here! I heard that Diclofenac was recently 'outed' as one of the worst for BP so well worth going to the GP and 'demanding' to try the cox2 type of NSAID. But like I said, I fully expect that to kill me at some point but I've tried to come off them and within days I am immobile and in great pain. An 'integrated' doctor I saw a few years back said that over time the metabolic pathway becomes set and you get stuck on them but she suggested a multi-vit daily, B6 & magnesium every morning and zinc at night plus the obligatory omega 3s. I rattle alot but they never got me off the meloxicam.

I read a book called the Vitamin D Cure and it gives some data within to suggest that in order to get a required amount of Vit D in the northern hemisphere you would have to be outdoors something like 8 hours a day otherwise there is not enough time in the summer here to get what we need especially as we are indoors so much....?

I've been taking NSAIDs since 1997, various types and currently Naproxen 500mg twice a day, otherwise I don't move at all due to RA. I have to take. Omeprazole too to combat the tummy acid issues Naproxen brings. For the fibro I take 1gram paracetamol, 1.8gram abapentin and 100mg amitrip per day, with the amitrip being triple function for pain, sleep and depression. Add to that BP tabs and this week 1gram antibiotics 4 times per day for a massive post op infection, I'm fairly rattling!!!

4 years agoHidden

The problem with Omeprazole is the impact is has on digesting food. My partner took them for 3.5 years for acid reflux problems and became severely ill with a heart arrhythmia and palpitations. Could barely get out of bed!

Cardiologist hadn't a clue, but we finally resolved it with Magnesium supplementation, folic acid, vitamin B12 and Hydrochloric acid supplements to allow proper digestion, the acid reflux was actually due to too LOW acid, hence poor digestion, not too much acid!

I would definitely research supplementing the stuff it prevents you absorbing if you are using it long term.

My father had emergency surgery in the late 1980's and was critically ill from extensive blood loss for a perforated gastric ulcer with Naproxen, so you deficiently need some extra protection with Naproxen, but PPIs like Omeprazole have their problems.

I used to live on antacids when on other NSAIDs, but have always been much better on Meloixicam, although it was a side effect of a low carb diet (for weight loss and Reactive hypoglycaemia/pre-diabetes) that got rid of the constant gastritis for me - I can only assume I didn't get on too well with the wheat I love, (I still LOVE carbs, but can't eat them!) Now don't have ANY indigestion issues at all

Snap!! Minus the partner and father... I came to realise that omeprazole is a nightmare and I even think its behind my recent toe fracture that nothing else explains. I believe fractures and omeprazole have been linked in the press. I stopped taking them too. And since going low carb I feel a lot better in the tum! It a bout of antibiotics for helicobacter pyloris helped even more!

HI I did used to take Nsaids but I found my stomach was being damaged, and it is well known if you take then long term its not good for all organs. But having said that I do have suppository Nsaids when things are really bad but I am aware that even this route can cause problems. The Pregablin and Gaberpentin are for nerve damage and opiods or others are for pain. However you have to prove the extent of you pain to be allowed to use these opiod treatments It personally took 7 long painful years and a four week pain management program for my consultant to realise it was not "all in my head" . I think most of us who take such a concotion of drugs have stomach issues coming from having to take them. There is hope talk to your pain consultant and GP's about** Lidocain infusions and Ketamine Infusions*** as I believe these are not talked about but they can get someone a month or more PAIN FREE without causing stomach issues etc Good luck to everyone

4 years agoHidden

Suppositories or transdermal NSAIDs are not dramatically different at all when it comes to the ill effects, my Father had to use suppository delivery after his Gastric surgery, and was still never free of the ill effects to the day he died, and still lived on Cimetidine, Rantidine and latterly Ompeprazole from when they were first introduced until he died over 6 years ago.

I have never had a problem of the pain being "in my head," as is so commonly held as even a blind man could feel the physical problems, but getting pain relief is not the only solution to all the problems - The problem I have with cutting NSAIDs is the beneficial effects they have is simply not replaced by increasing the opiates. (Not that I want to increase opiates if I can avoid it, they are a Godsend for me, but they already mean I have to live a life of managing the side effects, and more means more side effects)

Without NSAIDs I can double or triple opiate dosage and still I am FAR less mobile than I would have been with the Meloxicam and lower opiate dosage - yes <relatively> pain free (until I would inevitably become tolerant to this level), but I am just left as a bag of stiff old bones! Pain is only one aspect of arthritic problems, and even with that controlled, the lack of flexibility is still an issue!

I have Naproxen, Gaba and Tram, but my gp does an annual blood test for kidney function etc related to drugs. Does this happen for you? Also, it is good practice to take a daily multi vit / mineral tablet - but don't bother with anything expensive, just a standard supermarket / chemist own brand is good. The arguments for this are

1) Pain and disability can affect whether you chose to eat, or what you might be bothered to prepare.

2) It is sufficient to cover any slight shortfalls caused by other drugs.

3) Women need slightly more minerals than men, and some extra minerals can be advantageous for some conditions. (eg zinc, selenium etc)

I'm not sure that Nap is as good as its predecessor, but like most things, it does take a feww weeks to start working, and you wouldn't know if your symptoms would have been on the increase without it.